Senior Buyer & Strategic Sourcing Specialist

Accountabilities:: Own the end-to-end purchasing process for hardware, components, materials, and other operational requirements, from requisition through delivery. Source, evaluate, negotiate with, and manage suppliers to optimize cost, quality, lead times, availability, and commercial terms. Lead RFP and RFQ processes for strategic sourcing, major components, contract manufacturing, and other procurement requirements. Negotiate pricing, payment terms, minimum order quantities, lead times, and other supplier agreements. Manage purchase orders, order confirmations, delivery schedules, expedites, and supplier follow-up. Partner with Engineering, Program, and Production teams to understand bills of materials, production schedules, engineering changes, and upcoming material requirements. Support new product introductions by incorporating sourcing and material requirements early in the development process. Proactively identify supply constraints, long-lead items, component obsolescence, and supplier risks before they affect programs or customer delivery. Manage DMSMS and component obsolescence risks through mitigation strategies such as alternative sourcing and lifetime buys. Monitor inventory requirements and purchasing trends to improve material availability while minimizing excess and obsolete inventory. Track key supply chain metrics, including supplier performance, lead times, on-time delivery, purchase price variance, and material availability. Partner with Finance to ensure purchasing decisions align with budgets, forecasts, and approval processes. Support the shipment of production hardware and equipment to customers and field teams when required. Manage supplier selection, qualification, performance, ongoing relationships, and Approved Supplier List maintenance. Maintain supplier documentation, including certifications, vendor surveys, W-9s, and other required records. Ensure purchase orders include applicable Supplier Quality Requirements and contractual flowdowns. Maintain receiving documentation such as packing slips, Certificates of Conformance, and incoming inspection records within procurement systems. Support counterfeit parts prevention, authorized distributor sourcing, supplier corrective actions, and non-conformance resolution. Ensure procurement activities comply with applicable company, customer, contractual, quality, and regulatory requirements. Improve procurement workflows, documentation, reporting, operating processes, and data accuracy across business systems. Identify manual or inefficient processes and implement improvements that increase visibility, predictability, and scalability across procurement and supply chain operations. Requirements: 5+ years of experience in purchasing, procurement, strategic sourcing, supply chain, or a related function. Experience purchasing technical components, electronics, hardware, manufactured goods, or similar materials. Strong supplier management and negotiation experience covering pricing, lead times, commercial terms, and supplier performance. Experience working with bills of materials, purchase orders, inventory, and ERP, MRP, or procurement systems. Ability to understand technical requirements and collaborate effectively with Engineering, Manufacturing, Production, Program, and other technical teams. Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail. Ability to identify supply chain risks early and take ownership of mitigation efforts with a strong sense of urgency. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build productive relationships across technical, operational, and business teams. Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, high-growth environment where priorities may shift quickly. Experience with RFPs, RFQs, supplier bidding processes, and commercial proposal evaluation. Experience sourcing electronic components, PCBAs, mechanical components, contract manufacturing, or other hardware-related materials is preferred. Experience in aerospace, defense technology, government contracting, manufacturing, or another regulated industry is preferred. Experience with NetSuite and Jira is preferred. Familiarity with FAR/DFARS requirements and government contracting procurement practices is preferred. Experience with AS9100 supplier quality, supplier audits, supplier performance programs, DMSMS, or component obsolescence is preferred. Experience building or improving procurement processes within a scaling organization is preferred. Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, Engineering, or a related field is preferred. Ability to regularly work from the organization's headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia. Benefits: Opportunity to take ownership of both tactical purchasing and strategic sourcing activities. Hands-on role with significant impact on procurement scalability, supplier performance, and supply chain resilience. Opportunity to collaborate closely with Engineering, Hardware, Manufacturing, Program, and Finance teams. Exposure to technical hardware, electronics, manufacturing, and regulated supply chain environments. Opportunity to build and improve procurement processes within a growing organization. Mission-driven, fast-paced work environment. Inclusive workplace committed to equal employment opportunity.